History of Volkssport
Volkssport International
Volkssport evolved from public running races (Volkslauf) sponsored by sporting clubs in southern Germany which were held in the early 1960s. In 1963, the Sports Club of Bobingen, a small town near Augsburg, Germany, organized the first Volkslauf or "run of the folks" to stir interest in the club among the general public. The idea caught on quickly in Bavaria and within a couple of years, Volkslaufs were being sponsored by sports clubs throughout Southern Germany. In 1968, the Internationaler Volkssportverband (IVV) was founded by West Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria and their crests are on the IVV emblem.
One year later, fifteen Volksmarches were held in Southern Bavaria. These were the first events that resembled Volksmarch events as we know them today. These events caught on with the urban dwelling European who welcomed a chance to get a little exercise on the weekends, a chance to breathe country air and a chance to receive some recognition for his/her efforts. These events had no time limit or classifications and wanderers young and old could participate as they pleased and as they were able. Since 1968 and the establishment of the IVV (International Federation of Popular Sports), many countries have joined and are now participating in Volkssports.
The IVV originally sponsored only walks, which are still the predominant event. Volkssport has since grown to include other sport contests: bicycling, skiing, swimming, and inline skating.
Volkssporting made its debut in Canada in the early 1980s and has grown steadily ever since. The Canadian Volkssport Federation (CVF) was formed in 1986 and now has over 50 member clubs throughout most regions of Canada, plus provincial organizations in Alberta and British Columbia. Hundreds of Volkssporting events are sponsored each year in Canada.
The Beginning of Volkssport in Alberta
The word "Volkssport" was first mentioned in Alberta in 1983 during a Midnight Twilight Tourist Association (MTTA) meeting. A walking club was suggested as a way to entice new people into the tourist area followed by a search for a walking group. This search finally ended up with a contact for Volkssport in Chilliwack, BC.
In 1984 Travel Alberta approved a grant of $5000 for the MTTA to promote Volkssport in Alberta, and promote it they did! The MTTA sent out 30,000 information pamphlets all over the world, especially to Canadian and American military bases. Travel Alberta agreed to fund Volkssporting in Alberta from 1985 to 1989 and then it would be the responsibility of clubs.
Twelve sanctioned weekend walks were scheduled throughout central Alberta in 1985. Back in the mid 1980s, a Volksmarch was a two day event, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm with a 10 and 20 km marked route for both Saturday and Sunday. It was mandatory to have an award of a badge or medal to commemorate the weekend event. Registration and the award cost $5. Prizes were also given out for the oldest and youngest participants, and to the person who traveled the longest distance to attend. Many volunteers were required for long hours on the start and finish desk, at the two check points each day, for setting up and taking down the route markers, and for other sponsoring duties.
The first Volksmarch in Alberta was held in Barrhead on June 8 and 9, 1985. That summer included walkers from central Alberta, plus Germany, England, USA, and Ontario at the different events, with the highest attendance of 139 walkers for the season's closing weekend, August 24-25, at Gibbons.
By January 17, 1986, Bylaws for the Volkssport Association of Alberta (VAA) were completed and signed, witnessed by David Phillips, with Dr. Charles Godberson as the first President. The VAA was incorporated under the Societies Act of the Province of Alberta on January 21, 1986.